Great Marlow School

[bookie80]

Hi, I would love to hear about recent thoughts/experiences on GMS. I used to live near the area in my teen years and had friends there. It didn't have the best reputation back then... However, that was a long time ago and I know schools can change drastically over the years. We are unexpectedly moving to Marlow and will need to apply late for year 7 2021. It is perhaps unlikely now we will even be offered a space. But I would love to hear how others have experienced the school. TIA!

It's excellent. I have two DDs there in Year 9 and 10.
It's fairly big, and you do still get some behavioural issues in the lower sets where the kids can't be arsed to concentrate - but the staff are great and management is superb.

Great facilities and sports is impressive with teams regularly outperforming local grammar and independent schools and winning county and regional competitions (Hockey and Rowing especially).

We feel very lucky to have such a great state secondary.

If your child is very bright it's worth looking at the Grammar schools but you'll struggle with being late entry.

Thanks thats great to hear. It sounds like its really turned itself around. The sports sound great! I would love to hear any feedback on pastoral care and if its particularly cliquey or suited to a particular group of kids?

The thing is: most dc who don’t pass the 11 plus in that area will go there. Unless their parents can afford private. So for the vast majority, there’s no other viable choice. You will be lucky to get in. Bucks CC give info on their web site about how places are allocated for schools at the normal application time. You can see if they take all from catchment or not, all applicants or not and what distance from the school places have been offered. Etc. I would be looking to see where else you might be offered if places are not available. That could mean High Wycombe.

Its very popular locally but has a huge catchment area. The closer you are to the school the easier to get pushed up the waitlist. My friend's son as ASD and she is very happy with his pastoral care - so much so her daughter almost turned down a grammar school place to go to Great Marlow.
If your child has not done the 11 plus they may also have the option of sitting a late entry exam. There are 3 grammar schools in catchment, Sir William Borlase, Wycombe High and John Hampden. Beaconsfield High Grammar is not technnically in catchment but they do take kids from just out of catchment sometimes.
If no place in Great Marlow the next option would be Bourne End Academy which is about 15mins away. It previously had a bad reputation but the head of Wycombe High worked there for a year and I think its improved a lot now.

Bourne End Academy is one of the worst performing schools in Bucks. Even the high achievers don’t do as well as they should. It would need a massive effort to get this school better. Cressex in High Wycombe is preferable.

Thank you all, I am really grateful for your feedback. I am making enquiries about how much of a disadvantage we would be with our late application. This was not planned move so I am doing my best under the circumstances to navigate this the best way I can. At the moment I am unsure if living near the school helps or whether those that live further would still be more likely to gain a space as their application was received first.

I would be interested in DC sitting a late 11+ but again SWB is so popular that I am not sure if I am kidding myself at a chance of a space with a late application.

You are probably kidding yourself. Have you looked at the admission data for these schools on the BCC web site?

I just have. Neither admitted all their catchment children. SWBS operate a school based entry test for late entry but one would expect entry to be capped if they are full. You would need to ask the schools and Bucks CC about this. If SWBS has turned qualified catchment children away I would have thought they would not admit late comers over those children. They only admitted to just over 3 miles away. GMS didn’t admit all who applied from catchment either.

Yes I saw the data too. Spaces are offered in March, we would be applying in Feb when we move in. It was this part which was unclear as we would be very close to the school. It's definitely going to be tight.

That aside, I would still love any personal experiences of the school. So far all seem very positive and far from the experiences I heard from friends in my youth.

Well years ago it wasn’t great. So they wouldn’t have the best memories and many children under achieved. I don’t have DC there (I worked in Education) but if you don’t have a choice of schools, asking for opinions is a moot point. Where else would you go? The nearest option as we discussed above is not great. Cressex is better but I’m not sure if you would get in. The tables for added value are illuminating.

I used to live in a rural area of Bucks with one grammar and one secondary modern so “choice” is an illusion. If the one school is crap, you are trapped. I fear you will have to make the best of what you are given. You might get lucky but I would try and talk to the schools about in year admissions and the possibility of success, particularly the grammar school.

I would also suspect that if Gt Marlow is full, they will defend that position regarding appeals for mid year joiners. Lots of Bucks schools do this successfully. For Marlow DC there is another school not far away. Bucks also considers all its schools that are not grammar schools as “all ability”. Most people don’t see this as being true. However you are allocated to a school where there’s space and that may not be a grammar even if dc is good enough.

It’s so hard and I don’t envy anyone not being here at the right cut off dates. I do wish you good luck but if you find woeful comments about GMS, what can you actually do to avoid it? However I truly believe most DC/parents will be happy because the alternative isn’t appealing and DC can change schools for 6th form. Or they dig deep and pay.

Thanks for all your insight PresentingPercy. I am asking opinions because we haven't yet signed on the dotted line for the property so evaluating as much as possible just before we do.

Yep, not an ideal situation to find ourselves in but goes global pandemics can throw up scenarios such as this. All we can do is our best to navigate next steps.

It has certainly put my mind at rest to hear the feedback of GMS if we were to gain a space.

Thanks very much all.

Assuming you will be in Marlow / Marlow Bottom.

You would be a late application for GMS so wouldn’t be considered for the first round but depending on dates etc could be considered for subsequent rounds and if v local may well be offered.

SWBGS read info re late testing. Again depending on dates yiu may get a place in subsequent rounds. My youngest is yr 11 at SWBGS and from that year down they haven’t offered to more then 3 Miles in catchment (GMS hasn’t offered all of catchment in this time).

Assuming your dc gets a qualifying score WHS & JHGS would be a good chance for a late applicant.

I would swerve BEA. Cressex great but last couple years offered less then 2 mikes in catchment.

Gillotts worth a look but in recent years unlikely from Marlow. You could look at Icknield or PR. Not sure what situation is with St Michaels?

They will offer you the closest school with a space which will be BEA.

^ GMS is a great school btw.

@bookie80

Yes I saw the data too. Spaces are offered in March, we would be applying in Feb when we move in. It was this part which was unclear as we would be very close to the school. It's definitely going to be tight.

That aside, I would still love any personal experiences of the school. So far all seem very positive and far from the experiences I heard from friends in my youth.

If you didn’t apply by 31st October for yr 7 entry in 2021 you are a late applicant and will not be considered for the first round (only possible exemption is military).

www.buckscc.gov.uk/apply-for-a-school-place/apply-for-a-secondary-school-place/

I have twins, one went to Borlase and the other Wycombe HIgh. We didn't like Wycombe High so I put her on the waitlist for Borlase. In year 7, the waitlist is distance from the school not who didn't get in and wanted to. Year 7 is a tricky year to get in because they overscribe. My son is in year 9 now and 2-3 kids have gotten in during this time from sitting their 12 plus and being on the waitlist.
You are likely to find the other grammars in Wycombe easier as they have bigger intakes. Kids do start at grammars and decide they are not for them or their family moves away so places do come up. I know personally of several grammar children leaving from all the local grammars.
What is going to be tricky for you is that if you can't get your children into Great Marlow or a grammar - unfort the options of bourne end academy or cressex college are not ideal options and if you have the funds you might want to go private while you wait for a place.